ence is.
"This is important
because if you've
been with the same
company for years
but its leadership
has shifted, that
means other aspects
of the lab could've
shifted, too, includ-
ing its quality and its
standards," says Mr.
Rockers.
After meeting with
leadership, ask for a
pharmacist to walk
you through a day in the life of a batch. "Find a product they make
and say, 'I'd like to see where you get the raw material, how you judge
a raw material meets the standards you need, and how you make the
product,'" says Mr. Rockers.
Then, ask to meet with the pharmacist responsible for checking the
product for safety and have them walk you through that process.
"What's their process to see if they've got an affected product?" says
Mr. Rockers. Look for things like whether their air control and humid-
ity pressure matches the needs of the product, and ask what their pro-
cedures are for drugs if the power goes out. If they don't have those
protocols in place, it could indicate that they're not doing all they
should be to make sure your drugs are safe.
This is also your opportunity to check for any obvious red flags first-
hand. Pay close attention to whether the facility is clean, especially
J A n U A R Y 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 6 1
• ASEPTIC CONDITIONS Deviations from appropriate sterile practice standards
could lead to contamination of drugs, potentially putting patients at risk.
